Solution to super PACs: More money

The increase in limits follows the recent explosion of election activity by outside groups. | Reuters

By ADAM WOLLNER - CENTER FOR PUBLIC INTEGRITY | 7/1/13 6:05 AM EDT

State governments from the Rocky Mountains to the Atlantic seaboard are attempting to blunt the influence of free-spending super PACs and nonprofits by allowing people to contribute more money to political candidates.

Six governors — three Republicans and three Democrats — have signed bills increasing campaign contribution limits so far in 2013, while lawmakers in nearly a dozen other states have introduced similar legislation, a Center for Public Integrity review found.

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The increase in limits follows the recent explosion of election activity by outside groups in the post-Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission era, which has led to candidates being attacked by super PACs and 501(c)(4) nonprofit organizations that often spend more money on advertising than the candidates themselves.

In hopes of gaining greater control over their campaigns, some state lawmakers are pushing to allow candidates and parties to raise more funds while, in a few cases, imposing new restrictions on independent groups.

In March, Wyoming became the first state to ease restrictions on campaign contributions, raising limits from $1,000 to $1,500 for local candidates and to $2,500 for statewide candidates. The legislation also placed a cap on donations to candidates from political action committees, which previously had no limit.

“What we tried to take was a balanced approach,” Republican state Rep. Tim Stubson said. “We were really trying to incentivize individual giving, which is more transparent.”

Florida and Maryland lawmakers also sought to bring more transparency to their states’ respective campaign finance systems, using higher political contribution limits as a tool to forge bipartisan compromise.

The bill Florida Republican Gov. Rick Scott signed into law May 1 increased caps on individual donations to legislative candidates from $500 to $1,000 and to statewide candidates from $500 to $3,000.

Arizona Republicans raised contribution limits in April to $2,500 per election to legislative and statewide candidates — up from $488 and $1,010 respectively. The legislation also raised political action committees’ limits on donations to candidates and committees from $2,000 to $5,000.

“I realize people don’t like money going to politicians but at the end of the day I suspect they like money going to special interest groups even less,” said Arizona Rep. J.D. Mesnard, the Republican sponsor of the bill.

In Minnesota, donors may now give twice as much to statewide candidates — $4,000 — and local candidates — $1,000 — during an election year. The Democrat-sponsored bill, which passed with bipartisan support, originally included provisions requiring greater disclosure from outside groups, but lawmakers dropped the language.

Democrats in Connecticut were initially reluctant to raise limits.

Still, they approved a measure this month doubling the amount individuals may contribute to political parties. The law allows parties to spend unlimited amounts of money on candidates participating in the state’s public financing system. Lawmakers also forced all groups making independent expenditures close to the date of an election to disclose their top five donors.